WWYD about size and placement of this design?

[keepcalm]

Enough posts to start a new thread - woot!

So, I've sent the image below to my artist, and he's stoked about it (yay!) -- now we're just discussing placement and size. I was wondering if I could get some opinions on what YOU would do with this design. Where would you put it? Where do you think it would look best? I know one obvious answer is straight across the back, but I just think that's kind of boring. I'm completely fine with altering its shape, like squeezing it closer together, making one side higher, lower or whatever.

Legs/stomach/chest are off limits. I'm ready to entertain all other suggestions, though. Thanks in advance!

[Graeme]

You're talking about this with your artist, which is what you should be doing. Soliciting advice from complete strangers on the internet is weird, and quite frankly, if you need to do that you probably shouldn't be getting tattooed anyway.

[Kev]

Shoulder to shoulder - ship on one side, lion wave on the other.

[beez]

@keepcalm could make an interesting side piece, lion head on the flank and ship up top somewhere? maybe even incorporating you shoulder into it.

[heathenist]

Shoulder to shoulder - ship on one side, lion wave on the other.

Not sure if it's what you meant, but I think it would work even better on the chest, ship on one pec, lion head on the other. I think the wave filler would need to be altered a little, but I'm sure the right artist could make it work, just make sure your artist knows what they are doing.

Is it cool to ask who is doing it? Not sure about the etiquette, but if you don't mind sharing I'd be interested.

[keepcalm]

You're talking about this with your artist, which is what you should be doing. Soliciting advice from complete strangers on the internet is weird, and quite frankly, if you need to do that you probably shouldn't be getting tattooed anyway.

:( Was just looking for some alternate ideas, though I have my own. Sorry if you think that's weird? ::shrug::

Shoulder to shoulder - ship on one side, lion wave on the other.

Not sure if it's what you meant, but I think it would work even better on the chest, ship on one pec, lion head on the other. I think the wave filler would need to be altered a little, but I'm sure the right artist could make it work, just make sure your artist knows what they are doing.

Is it cool to ask who is doing it? Not sure about the etiquette, but if you don't mind sharing I'd be interested.

Thanks guys - this is one of the ideas I'm considering, only it would be on my back (not looking to tattoo near the boobs at the moment, haha). I guess I just wasn't sure if it would look funny if it's the only thing back there.

And @heathenist, I don't mind saying at all! It's Scott M at Paradise Tattoo in DC. He did one of my other two existing tattoos. Not sure if you know him, but I liked working with him and he's a cool guy.

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@keepcalm could make an interesting side piece, lion head on the flank and ship up top somewhere? maybe even incorporating you shoulder into it.

Thanks, @beez! I am intrigued by your idea but am not sure I understand it completely. You mean the lion on my side/back and the ship creeping up onto my shoulder/arm? I had also thought of putting the ship a bit higher to compress the design some and make it less linear. It's kind of a funky shape as-is.

[beez]

@keepcalm Your artist will work with the existing image but will probably have suggestions for how to turn it into a proper tattoo, so as far as the funky shape goes, hopefully your artist is already on top of it!

Which end do you want up, the ship or the lion? I think I initially saw the lion on your flank (side butt haha) which would put the ship up on your shoulder. It would be kinda neat to get your whole shoulder in there and continue on down the side of the body to the flank. But looking at it now it could make an excellent backpiece, again starting on your flank on one side and wrapping around across your butt and up to your opposite shoulder.

Err...I'm not really sure if any of that was too clear or helpful. I am not an artist, only a collector!

So I started to look for cool side pieces to post for inspiration...and it appears there is a dearth of good side tattoos on the internets...or today I am bad at searching. Help, LST! Show me some good side pieces, stat!

And actually, while we're it at: Is it "sidepiece", "side piece", or "side-piece"? All of the above? Remember, I'm bad at searching today so if any idiot could google it, please remember that THIS idiot cannot. Today.

This post is brought to you by cold meds. Huzzah!

[keepcalm]

@keepcalm Your artist will work with the existing image but will probably have suggestions for how to turn it into a proper tattoo, so as far as the funky shape goes, hopefully your artist is already on top of it!

Which end do you want up, the ship or the lion? I think I initially saw the lion on your flank (side butt haha) which would put the ship up on your shoulder. It would be kinda neat to get your whole shoulder in there and continue on down the side of the body to the flank. But looking at it now it could make an excellent backpiece, again starting on your flank on one side and wrapping around across your butt and up to your opposite shoulder.

Err...I'm not really sure if any of that was too clear or helpful. I am not an artist, only a collector!

So I started to look for cool side pieces to post for inspiration...and it appears there is a dearth of good side tattoos on the internets...or today I am bad at searching. Help, LST! Show me some good side pieces, stat!

And actually, while we're it at: Is it "sidepiece", "side piece", or "side-piece"? All of the above? Remember, I'm bad at searching today so if any idiot could google it, please remember that THIS idiot cannot. Today.

This post is brought to you by cold meds. Huzzah!

Hahaha that was such an awesome post. Thank you for that.

Yeah my artist is currently sketching out a more smooshed together design to try in a couple of places. And I agree that the lion lower and the ship higher makes sense. :) Also I think I am just laughing at the word "flank" -- I tend not to think of my own body using that term... just like, lambs or cows or something, hahaha.

I hope your cold goes away soon!

[keepcalm]

Hey @beez and other folks who had suggestions -- got to stop by the shop today, and Scott suggested breaking the illustration up into two: putting the ship on the back on my left shoulder and the lion on the back of my right. Leaving them unconnected, and just swinging the "water" down and toward the middle at the bottom of each.

I dig it. Can't wait to get these done as I am quite stoked on them.

[Eskimette]

I like it for shoulder to shoulder, or shortened closer together for chest. Your artist will know what to do - but placement is personal

[beez]

@keepcalm sounds sweet! let us know how it goes!

[keepcalm]

Am finally going in to get this tomorrow! Will try really hard to remember to take a picture before the bandage goes on. So ready for this!

[Guest theyearsummerendedinjune]

Im stoked on this for you dude. Will be a sick addition to the ol' skin scene.

[keepcalm]

Got it done on Friday - very happy!

Scott M at Tattoo Paradise in DC did it. He is moving to Florida, which makes me sad. He's great! He got these done faster than I anticipated, and the healing seems to be going well so far. Please forgive the lines from my sports bra in the picture - I'll be wearing racerbacks for a few more days, haha :p

[sbhikes]

Wow, that turned out really nice!

[keepcalm]

Wow, that turned out really nice!

Thank you so much! I love them!

[equilibrium]

These turned out so nice! I really like where they are placed. Do you mind me asking what picture it is from? I love those lines in the ocean waves and they look so familiar (maybe it's a certain style of drawing?).

[SacramentoDan]

Got it done on Friday - very happy!

Scott M at Tattoo Paradise in DC did it. He is moving to Florida, which makes me sad. He's great! He got these done faster than I anticipated, and the healing seems to be going well so far. Please forgive the lines from my sports bra in the picture - I'll be wearing racerbacks for a few more days, haha :p

yes,that turned out really really nice IMO,very cool piece

[keepcalm]

These turned out so nice! I really like where they are placed. Do you mind me asking what picture it is from? I love those lines in the ocean waves and they look so familiar (maybe it's a certain style of drawing?).

Thanks so much! The only thing Scott went off was the illustration/drawing in my first post in this thread. I found that image on a website called Behance (?) -- not sure exactly what that site is about, I found it through an image search. Not sure if that helps, sorry!

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yes,that turned out really really nice IMO,very cool piece

Thanks! :)

[KegRN]

You're talking about this with your artist, which is what you should be doing. Soliciting advice from complete strangers on the internet is weird, and quite frankly, if you need to do that you probably shouldn't be getting tattooed anyway.

Wow!

Maybe this topic should have a more detailed explanation as to what type of tattoo advice we are allowed to ask about. The current description "Ask questions about tattoos you already have, or want to get, etc." Would lead me to believe this question was perfectly acceptable.

Or maybe you are just having a bad day?

[Graeme]

Wow!

Maybe this topic should have a more detailed explanation as to what type of tattoo advice we are allowed to ask about. The current description "Ask questions about tattoos you already have, or want to get, etc." Would lead me to believe this question was perfectly acceptable.

Or maybe you are just having a bad day?

No, the point is that for any questions about the specifics of tattoo design and placement, the best person you can possibly ask is the person who is going to be doing the tattoo because they are going to be able to give you far better advice than anybody else. This is what they do for a living so they have a lot more knowledge and experience about this than most of us here, and ultimately, they're the person who is going to execute the tattoo.

[KegRN]

I'm sure ultimately people would leave the final production up to the artist, but it never hurts to get multiple opinions from people, and the internet is a great place to do that.

It also could just be that the planning phase of getting a tattoo is exciting. Maybe people just want like minded people to talk about it with. I am in that phase right now and am surrounded by friends and family that have no interest in tattoos and most actually have a negative opinion about it. There is literally no one to share my current obsession with aside from you kind strangers.

I understand your point, but I just thought you were a little too hard on the person.

[Pleadco]

@keepcalm is a tough cookie, she can handle it :)

[keepcalm]

It also could just be that the planning phase of getting a tattoo is exciting. Maybe people just want like minded people to talk about it with.

Yeah :) I am always excited when I start thinking about an idea for a new piece, and since I don't have a ton of friends who are into tattoos, I just come here. I always make my final decisions with my artist, but I like to think (and talk) through my ideas a LOT, and I don't want to bug my artist with excessive questions, haha.

@keepcalm is a tough cookie, she can handle it :)

And also this :)

Also thanks to everyone who likes to chat about ideas - I appreciate you!

[equilibrium]

I like to "brainstorm" to get creative juices flowing so love and appreciate people's suggestions, feedback, ideas that might help me come down to a decision about my own tattoo (or anything really). I just wanted to add (as a newbie here) that after I saw that initial design response I felt intimidated to ask about ideas/placement for myself in another thread. I might be a tough cookie in life in other things but tattoos I am not well versed in and feel a bit in an unfamiliar world and felt oh sheit...I better not ask anything what I needed to hahaha